Welcome to our first installment of People of EIU for the 2025-26 academic year! This is our 17th issue of People of EIU since we first started highlighting our talented faculty, staff, and students this way in August 2023. Like you, I am excited for the upcoming year, and proud of the accomplishments we’ll achieve together, united as Panthers and confident in our collective ability to positively impact the world we share. 

We look forward to featuring more of our EIU Family in future issues of People of EIU. Feel free to nominate an EIU colleague or student to be featured in an upcoming issue of People of EIU here! And a reminder…if one or several of your colleagues is doing a terrific job here at EIU, please submit a Shout Out to recognize their efforts! You can check out the July 2025 Shout Out Video here. 

Welcome to the new year—thanks for all you do and enjoy this month’s edition! 

Lowell McElwee

Shout out to Fod for coming to my rescue and giving me an assist today at Buzzard Hall. The thing I needed help with wasn't really in his area and wasn't necessarily in his job description but he helped me out and did it with a terrific attitude! Thank you!

Wendy Lane

You have been such a valuable member of the Counseling and Higher Education Department as well as the College of Education, that is hard to visualize that department without you. Thank you for sharing your time and knowledge with us, and you will certainly bloom where you are heading in the Technology Department. They are so lucky to have you - Best wishes and many thanks!

Taylor LeCrone

Thank you, Taylor! Not only did you fix my problem, but you went beyond that. I appreciate working with people who know what would help, how to help, then make the extra effort! Kudos!

Joshua Hunt

Hey Joshua! The CDS department is SO THANKFUL for all you do to keep our building so nice and clean!! Everything looks great after all your hard work extracting the past couple of weeks! We appreciate you so very much! :)

Arlene Brown

Arlene was helped make some connections for some technology supplies that I needed on very short notice. Thanks for the assist Arlene!!!

Christie Otis

I had a very last minute need for some laptops and Christie really helped me out of a bind. With a very quick turnaround and cheerful service, Christie helped me out of this jam!

Sarah Daugherty

Sarah you are that girl! I was able to work with her with trying to help an incoming student. And when I tell you Sarah was doing the best she could to assist our student in getting as much support as she could I am so happy to work someone like her! She def puts in work in making sure our students get as much support as they can! I see you Sarah! :)

Georgia Ryan

Thank you, Georgia, for spending some time with our office to answer our questions and help advise us on how to best support students. We appreciate your willingness to assist us in all ways and the knowledge we gained is invaluable. Thank you!

Amy Morris

Shout out to Amy Morris for always willing to share her knowledge with us. She and others presented information and answered our questions regarding withdrawals to help us better understand and assist students in the future. Thank you, Amy! We appreciate you! 

Eric Davidson

Thank you for taking time to talk to our staff in Financial Aid so we can better support students who are going through tough situations. Your advice and guidance are always appreciated!

Laura Shute

Thank you, Laura, for making the time to help us today with our FWS students for Fall. You definitely made it easy to understand and get our questions answered. Thank you for your kind and quick help!

Cassi Carpenter

A huge thank you to Cassi for bringing Boudica the Tortoise all the way to Old Main! Cassi and all her biological charges are always welcome in Human Resources!

Josh Norman

A huge thanks to Josh and his team for helping a student be able to register so they can attend RA training. The care you and your team put into our students does not go unnoticed.

Nicholas Fonseca

Nick is awesome and amazing! He is so helpful and polite. His knowledge of our systems is over the top. Nick has helped me on many occasions when I am struggling in Banner or Astra. He has patience and allows me to take notes and not rush. He is truly an asset to the university!

Becky Shew

Huge shout out to Becky! She was super helpful when I was having issues with my phone/teams! She was super kind and welcoming! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Wendy Lane

I wanted to send a thank you to Wendy Lane for her support during my transition to COE. Wendy goes above and beyond to assist others and has consistently been there to support me during my time in this role. Wendy has provided me with information to share with the others within our college to hopefully assist them in their positions and make things run smoothly. I appreciate the support and encouragement that she provides to not only me, but to the others within our college.

Bart Rettberg

I wanted to send a thank you to Bart Rettberg for his support during my transition to COE. Bart goes above and beyond to assist others and has consistently been there to support me during my time in this role. I appreciate the support and encouragement that he provides to not only me, but to the others within our college.

Cat Shick

I wanted to send a thank you to Cat Shick for her support during my transition to COE. Cat goes above and beyond to assist others and has consistently been there to support me during my time in this role. I appreciate the support and encouragement that she provides to not only me, but to the others within our college.

Michael Rogers

I wanted to send a thank you to Shane Rogers for his support during my transition to COE. Shane goes above and beyond to assist others and has consistently been there to support me during my time in this role. I appreciate the support and encouragement that he provides to not only me, but to the others within our college.

Shelly Williams

I wanted to send a thank you to Shelly Williams. She was new in her position, but if I needed anything during my transition to COE, she has always been there to assist me. Shelly's kindness and her smile can make a difference in other people lives and she does that on a daily basis.

Eric Hiltner

Huge shout out to Eric & the entire grounds crew for braving the extreme heat this week, it does not go unnoticed. Stay safe, hydrated, and thank you for everything you do!

William Burnside

Bill Burnside and his team are amazing. They took care of our issues in the advising area and Brad even followed up to ensure it was taken care of. I know they were busy across campus with the heat and other various heat related issues, but they addressed our issue timely. We appreciate you and all you do to keep us working.

Marqeita Morris

Here's a shout out to Marqeita Morris for always being up beat and having a great attitude. Marqeita always does her job in a very professional manner and along with this she always manages to spread a little sunshine to the people that she interacts with. Last week I asked Marqeita to assist me with something that was not part of her job duties and that many people would have put very little effort into. She was not able to solve my problem right away so I thanked her and told her that I would figure something else out. The next day she contacted me and told me that she had tried and tried but she still could not come up with the solution that I was needing. I had assumed that she would let it go as soon as our conversation was over, but she put much more effort into assisting me after the conversation was over. Marqeita, I just want to let you know that your extra effort along with your great attitude are very much appreciated by me!

John Blue

Kicking off my full-time journey here has been way smoother (and a lot more fun) thanks to John! You've been an amazing supervisor—answering my endless questions, cheering me on, and being an amazing mentor as I continue to learn how to navigate higher ed as a new professional ! I know thats right!

Seriously, you're the kind of leader that makes work feel less like “work”. Grateful for all your support, guidance, and good energy—can't wait to keep learning from you! :) Don't play with OBAE!

Megan Morecraft

Megan has gotten off to an incredible start in her first few weeks as a full-time staff member! She's doing an amazing job getting everything in place for commencement. I'm so impressed by her organization and all that she's already accomplished. The amount of work that goes into planning graduation is impressive, and EIU is fortunate to have her leading the way.

Cassidy Gavin

Just a few days into my full-time journey here at EIU, and I already feel incredibly lucky to work alongside someone as supportive, welcoming, and all-around awesome as Cassidy! She is THAT GIRL! Whether it's sharing insights, making me laugh as I learn how to navigate being a full time professional, or just being that reliable go-to person, she def has made this transition smoother and way more enjoyable.

Cheers to a new exciting year! I know that's right!! :)

Glenna Gobert

Thank you for always preparing terrific food for me at the Food Court. I don't know what I will when you retire you make the best breakfast tacos in the whole world!!!

Stacey Atteberry

Huge shout-out to Stacey Atteberry, our Human Resource Representative for Student Employment! Stacey has hit the ground running, while navigating the challenges of student employment with a positive attitude, patience, and a strong commitment to service. Your contributions are helping both our students and departments thrive. We are lucky to have you!

Kasondra Harrell

I'd like to give a big shout-out to Kasondra Harrell, our newest Human Resources Officer, who is quickly approaching the three-month mark in her role! Kasondra has already made a meaningful impact—jumping into projects, supporting the team, and learning as much as she can. Your dedication, professionalism, and positive energy have not gone unnoticed. We're so glad to have you on the team and can't wait to see all that you'll accomplish moving forward. Keep up the great work!

Taylor LeCrone

SHOUT OUT to Taylor for reloading TEAMS and fixing connectivity issues for us. You really saved the day! EIU is lucky to have you on the team!

Joshua Ernst

SHOUT OUT to Josh for getting our computers updated and re-connected to the network. We appreciate your assistance in getting us up and running again. Greatly appreciated!

Westley Wright

After just joining the Education Department staff, Wes has already been very helpful in a variety of ways. His friendly demeanor and competence is much appreciated. Tech issues rarely seem to be timely and when my computer monitor went on the blitz in the middle of a project. Wes made himself available and was able to quickly fix the issue so that I could finish the project on time. Thank you and well done! :-)

Mark Hudson

Mark is always willing to help and assist whenever he sees a need. We all appreciate his dedication to EIU and for always bleeding blue. Thank you, Mark, for being you and for your unwavering loyalty and commitment.

Fantasy Sharrett

Fantasy is always thinking of others and has gone above and beyond to make people feel valued and like they matter. Thank you, Fantasy! You are noticed and appreciated.

Dawn Zachow

As Career Services was setting up a process to have work study job descriptions posted on Handshake, Dawn's attention, advice, and action to get the data work done behind the scene was a true example of collaboration, knowledge, and customer service. She is always prompt and courteous while being technically strong. We appreciate her help so much!

Laura Shute

Laura has been incredibly helpful in setting up and managing all work study jobs including posting the job descriptions, working with the hiring departments, closing the applications, and working out the "bugs". Her efforts will make this a seamless and efficient process for all departments and, especially, work study eligible students. Working with her has been a pleasure!

Michael Gillespie

Thank you for the smoothest transition to Student Success! The IDS degree program and its staff are in very good hands now! Thank you for serving as a great leader and inspiration to keep moving forward! Your dedication and commitment to EIU is commendable, but your dedication to your staff and students is awe inspiring and motivating. We are looking forward to this new partnership!

Cheryl Eustis

Moving the IDS degree program to Student Success was no small feat! Thank you, Cheryl, for making it as effortless as possible! Your hard work and dedication to EIU shows in every task you take on! You are the BEST!!!

Lowell McElwee

We cannot thank you enough for your quick response to our request for specific projects here in TLF. You are on the ball and boy do we appreciate the job you do here in Buzzard. Lowell is the hardest working man, we know - thank you for taking care of business!

Alex Thomas

I have been dealing with Human Resources quite a bit the last few weeks. Alex always seems to have the answers to my questions and she really treats them like they are important to her. I really appreciate it Alex!

Nathan Brown

I have worked with Nate more lately than ever before and it seems like every time I ask him about something he is super helpful. He also has a great attitude during the process and goes above and beyond. Thank you Nate!

Nathan Brown

Thank you so much to Nate and your crew for getting our request completed in such a quick and neat manner. You guys rock! Thank you to all of you who worked with Nate to get our offices here in TLF in ship shape!

Michelle Wayne

Thank you for all your help and hard work! We appreciate it.

Nancy Murray

Many thanks for your recent efforts to assist a group of alumni who visited campus. You're extra effort and care are a "difference maker".